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No South African citrus to Spain in 2015

South Africa’s citrus producers, with support from the country’s Citrus Growers Association (CGA) recommended that the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) do not issue phytosanitary certificates for citrus exports to Spain during 2015. Shipping to Spain is deemed to be an unreasonable risks for the industry: the processes and procedures applied upon entry into Spain are risky, and potentially endanger supplies to the rest of Europe. The EU currently represents around 85% of the South Africa’s citrus shipments. According to the CGA, “The methodology and ability of Spanish officials to correctly identify viable citrus black spot (CBS) is unknown – clearly a big concern for South African exporters.” While the dispute is likely to end up at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the new citrus season is starting this month until November.